Last of Us: Divided
by SilentAuthor22
Summary: After that Day. "We got some time." Mankind took a huge step-back. "Ready?" We wonder. "Let's make it more interesting." Who will be saved? "Alright smartass." Will humanity be united once again? "I'm certain Pria wants to join in too." Or still be kept divided, survival of the fittest? "Haha, yeah." It wasn't only Joel and Ellie. This was a story left, for the Last of us.
1. Prologue Part 1

Disclaimer: Last of Us is not ours to claim. Characters who shall be appearing are owned by Sharpshot and Silent.

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_6 years after the Pandemic Apocalypse_

Dark brown orbs appeared from heavy eyelids, adjusting to the darkness, blinked a few times until a faint light from the opened door came to image. He groaned lightly, shifted to turn and pulled himself up to sit. His groggy eyes irritated, slow to adjust to the light, he gently balled it with his fists, brushing his messy, dark blonde hair back, he heard sluggish footsteps coming along with a shadow.

His eyes stood still, waiting for the figure to appear, there was no anxiety, no instincts to tell him to run or find something to defend himself. For a ten year old boy, there was nothing to think about.

"Mom?" He called, with a hint of annoyance.

"Did I wake you?" The figure appeared, speaking softly. "Sorry honey." She gently smiled, approaching his son. The little boy yawned and shook his head, the mother held his little wrist, and kissed his forehead. "Go back to sleep." She tucked him in and closed the door, letting no light come in to distract him.

Still wide-eyed, no intention of going back to sleep he tossed and turned, looking up at the window which drawn in the moonlight. He stared. Walls. There were only walls and darkness. What was beyond those?

"Can't sleep?" Beside his bed, there was another. Of course, it was occupied. He turned to a boy almost eight years older than him, brown eyes and blonde hair lighter, slender body that was facing him. He shook his head."Come here Ethan." He snickered, patting the space infront of him. Without hesitation, Ethan pulled out from his bed, and jumped into his brother's bed, he always liked his bed, he was more comfortable in it. He curled up into a C, feeling the warmth of the man beside him.

"Did Ma woke you up again?" He scooted to give Ethan more room. He shrugged. "..Guess so."

"Meh, she seems to act like a zombie in the middle of the night." He rolled his eyes. Was it in a tone of sarcasm, or warning? I wonder, to little Ethan, what was his interpretation to it?

He lifted his chin up, staring at his half-splitting image of his older self. "..What?" Eyebrows raised at his young version skeptically.

"Erick." He pulled himself to his stomach. "..What does the outside looks like?" Full of innocence, his eyes glittered as it hits the light drawn in from the window. Erick's eyes was locked at him for a while, blinking, eyes lingering away from him, the question sinking in.

"Have you been to the outside?" Ethan shot up from his comfy position, intrigued.

"What was it like?" Gaining no response, he asked again. Erick sat up and stiffled a laugh fakely, he brought his finger to his chin.

"Just go to sleep."

"But-"

"Na-uh." Erick stopped him from speaking another word. He turned to the other side of the room, turning his back from the light and Ethan, who frowned and put his weight on him.

"Sleep." He groaned and spoked slowly, Ethan rolled over infront of his brother, once again calling for his attention,

"I want to go outside Erick." His voice low, but sincere. Full of determination, full of excitement, motivated. It was beautiful, such innocence gave Erick the nostalgia of being a child. Promising, but too pitiful.

Too pitiful.

Erick sigh, opening one eye to peek at his brother hesitantly. Of course-just as he expected- that adorable expression. Crap.

"The day after tomorrow." He's bound to know it anyway.

"Huh?"

"In two days.." He said closing his eyes firmly. "We'll go outside."

"You serious?!" He jumped up, pulling his face close go Erick's face. "Sweet!" He jumped off the bed, and rushed to a corner where he rummaged through a bag noisly that Erick forced himself up.

"I thought I told you to go to-" Ethan yawned, taking an image of his little brother, with a bright smile, hooked his bag on his shoulders. It was just like a little boy excited for school.

"Erick! I already got these bags, the other kids were talking about it, you need bags when you go outside, I don't know what to put in it but food is a good one.." He kepts talking, his brother reaching the bag on his back. "I also think H-Hey!" His backpack was yanked, dragging him along.

"Woah, woah, woah." Ethan fell sitting between Erick's legs, the bag zipped open. "Where'd you get this? And what nonsense are the kids telling nowadays?" Erick interrogated, still rummaging through the back. He found a pack of matches, scrunched up food, an old toy car with only two wheels left on each side.

"Let go!" Ethan loosened and got away from the bag's grip and took it from Erick's hands.

"Ethan, there's more to than just packing food and toys while outside..." his voice turning low and stern.

"I know." Even though he doesn't. "I'll be with you anyway." He was aware of his tone of voice, he was serious and worried. He'd at least acknowledge that.

Erick, sighed in defeat, though that as true, he was not fully certain he could really do it. "Alright, go to bed. Sleep. Now." He said going back under the sheets. "We'll talk about it tomorrow." He yawned again. Ethan put down his bag, joining him in his bed, snuggled up on each other giggled as he got a noggie from him.

He was excited. He'll get to see it. The outside everyone was talking about. He had this satisfied expression on his face, he's ready. Giddy as a boy going to his first day of school. If only that were the case, that he'd be normally attending school, normally hanging with the other kids, naturally seeing the outside. Erick thought, sighing deeply.

_If only._

He looked down at Ethan, now heavily asleep, his breathing having heard loud and clear. How peaceful it was to hear it.

Having to be the family that was assigned to be relocated duty outside. It was fine to him, it'd be a nice change to see green, or see what it was like after that Day. Also scared to face those creatures outside, to be one of them.

To be one of the Infected.

He shook his head. _No, that won't happen._ It won't.

It was a pain to see his bright expression changed-into traumatized, disappointed and pained. To let him see the truth of this cruel world we lived in.

"It won't." He murmured, He still has a day to get Ethan, and himself, ready.

** END OF PROLOGUE PART 1**

_Author and Co-Author's Note:_

_**Silent:** First of all, I'm very thankful you have reached this far to actually finished it. Hooray from a boring-proof story!_  
_Second, this is a OC-centered story if you still haven't noticed. It is in the actually time of the story, but in another's life journey throughout the apocalypse._  
_Third, this game/movie is freaking awesome. I'm not a particular gamer, but seriously. This is awesome._

_Also, there are two authors of this, collaboration to be exact. Me, Silent who owns this account, and my dear brother, who will go by the name **Sharpshot**. (pfft./slapped) Both work together and own some characters who shall be appearing, just like Ethan and Erick. if you got questions, ask us. Either me or him, you choose._

_So I guess he'll be having to say something?_

_**Sharpshot**: Yes so first of all thanks for the like and support for our first chapter. This is such an exciting experience for me since this is my first fan fiction and hopefully will push on thru. We will do our very best to make atleast a chapter a week depending on ratings so yeah oh and btw if youre rich get the game "The last of us" im telling you it is worth it I myself is a gamer but sadly not really good with finance so yeah it's a game that will change your life. So yeah that's all_

_We`ll be expecting reviews, I'll appreciate it so much if you do, i would love to hear what you guys say on this. Follow, to know Ethan's fate. Favorite if you enjoyed it. Brofists from both of us to the bros out there._

_Who knows? You, or your oc could join this epic journey._

_~Until the next update. :)_


	2. Prologue Part 2

SUMMER.

"Holy shit." Erick whispered.

It was bright. Brighter than anything he seen in ages, maybe even brighter the last time he saw this place. Funny, he can't even remember what it looked like,but he had to admit- This was a hell of a view.

He snorted, for a second there, he thought, it was almost better this way. If we weren't talking about the infected that is.

"Keep your eyes sharp." His dad informed him.

"It's been a while, isn't Erick?" His mother sang with a hint of nostalgia.

"Yeah." Is all he could say.

"Can't I take it off yet?" Ethan's patience was wearing off, holding to Erick, blindfolded. "It's not fair!"

"Just a bit more little brother." He snickered. He held his eyes captive ever since they've set foot outside the Quarantine. He wanted to see his brother's reaction, but he also wanted to see it for himself first.

"Honey, what are you doing to Ethan?"

"It's nothing."

"Oh come Ricky, don't keep it to yourself." Carl chuckled. "Let Ethan see it.." Carl brushed Ethan's hair, who got a hold of his hand,trying to get some help. Turns out two families were taken for duty, because one couldn't be a good plan of they wanted to keep the Quarantine zone and Carl, yet they didn't had children, some would say there were lucky,they would laugh and say otherwise.

"Heey, back off Carl." He said playfully, grabbing his brother's shoulders.

"Erick?" Stumbling over here and there, he took hold of his brother's hand. "I smell something weird." Apparently, fresh air of nature was alien to him.

"Alright, here is fine." Stan said, stopping on his track."We'll get this area Carl."

"Splendid." Kate sang sarcastically with an accent. "Carl and I'll head east. Take care Stan, Jean."

"I'll look for some interesting loot for you boys." Carl dropped his heavy hands into Erick's back.

"Be careful out there." He bid a temporary goodbye.

"We'll meet up here at noon."

After separation, Erick was given instruction and a gun. Looking down on his weapon, he sighed. It's been a while since he held one too. He tucked it in his back pocket and looked down Ethan, who already took out his blindfold.

"I told you not to-" he stopped to see Ethan's wide eyes shining,mouth hanged open, his hair going wild with the breeze. He'd never seen how bright and beautiful his eyes reflected the light. His eyes began to blink,head moving around every second, taking everything in his eyes to capture.

"Woah." Was all he could say, Erick chuckled. Yep, he's satisfied with that reaction.

"it's so...green." Ethan toed the weeds sprouting out of the broken pavements.

"Yeah well, it was greener than it used to be." He followed."Way better."

"But..what happened?" He wondered, eyeing dozens of building covering some of the sunlight's rays. Some settling down on another tower like a domino.

"It's.. a long story." Erick replied, brushing his hair. Ethan stopped by a house, eyeing the ruins on the roof, the windows with boards nailed to it, and the door-well, it doesn't have one anymore. It was pretty inviting.

"Erick! Ethan!" Erick stopped and regained his senses. He grabbed his brother's arm and led him back. Both disappointed, wanting to see more.

He held a tight grip on Ethan's hand. "Later." He whispered his promise with a gentle smile. Ethan gave him a playful grin back.

They went further around, they found the city hall area turned into a huge pond. Erick would roll his eyes if his dad attempted a joke, his mother encouraging him with a forced laugh. Ethan's eyes were not even blinking, shifting to every corner. He wondered what it looked like if it wasn't in ruins, one oldman told him that they used to live freely outside. He's trying his hardest to picture it all out, but the information wasn't enough.

A figure flew right before his eyes.

What was that? If flew. It was small, he seen anything so beautiful.

A little tainted creature flew over the flowers. A shade of yellow and orange were attached to it's wings, gently flapping it. He quietly snucked up to it,taking a good glimpse of it. Small, fragile legs crept up to the petals of the flower, what little body, could carry such huge, colorful wings?

"That's a butterfly." Ethan got startled off by Erick, scaring the butterfly away.

"Bucker-what?" A bit annoyed losing that creature, he stuttered.

"Butterfly." He corrected. "One of those insects that makes these flowers bloom.." He brushed his hands against the shrubs."Used to be everywhere." He recalled.

"Where do they stay?" Voice full of curiousity.

"Somewher-" No, no. Too risky. "Somewhere..far."

"One got lost out here, maybe they're still arou-"

"We can't." He cut him off. As much as he wanted to please his brother, it wasn't a good idea to bring him out on the open, near to those creatures. "Now let's go."His tone was a softer now.

He didn't look back and only paid attention to the slow steps of Ethan's foot brushing the grass. Dragging it like he didn't want to walk that way, Ethan walked through the puddle, entering a garage. His parent's voices echoed through faintly. He sighed in relief, he knew where to go. The last time he took familiarity of places was from the east side, three years ago. This was a new environment for him, and he had no intention of getting lost.

"Hold on Ethan we got to get some-" Erick turned.

Ethan?

"Damn it.." He muttered under his breath. He walked back on his trails, across the puddle, to the small garden where they say the butterfly. He expected this a bit, considering his cold response earlier, despite his promise. "Hey Eth?" He called as he made it to the place.

"Eth? Come on Kiddo, come out." He went inside the open house,hoping to find his brother inside, he checked every room and upstairs. No sign of anyone who came recently, he looked outside the window, no sign of butterflies either. Something inside his chest took a huge jump, his heartbeating fast from worry as he surveyed below. "This isn't funny Ethan!" He dashed through the hallways, downstairs and out to the towards behind the house into the tree-hovered yard, he chanted in his head.

_No. No. No. Please no._

He took out his gun with hands shaking entirely as he ran. Getting far and deep into the woods, he tried to keep up with his breath and thought it through.

He gathered his thoughts, trying to calm himself down. How stupid was he to not notice? How long was he deep in thought before he have gotten away? Where did he go? Why did he go? This is all his fault.

These thoughts didn't help him even better. He sat from the bark of the tree where he laid down on. His heart beat fast and trembled at the faint sound of heavy footsteps. It was faint yet slow and heavy footsteps. He instantly followed through his hearing. He took silent yet fasts steps.

He wondered why the footsteps were slow yet heavy, he wondered if it was Ethan leaping through the woods trying to be those superheroes from the comicbooks-or what's left of it- he lended him. Either that or a struggling infected, though wouldn't they groan and murmur? Erick took hold of the image of a leaping Ethan.

As the sound got louder and nearer, Erick's chest beat faster. Soon different noises appeared and echoed. Yet everything left his mind as he saw Ethan's dark blonde hair. He sighed thankfully, standing from his crouched position. He stepped forward to approach his brother, yet there something missing, something he forgot to take into the picture.

In front of Ethan, who stood frozen in terror, faced a hollow arc with it's wall in ruins. Under the frail arc were a pack of Clickers.

_Jesus christ._

Erick held his breath as the sound of the Clickers produced echoes through his head, he blinked down to his brother, who never moved from his place. How long was he in that position? Though he was glad he didn't made a single sound.

Slowly, Ethan's head turned to his behind, his hesitation to tremble whole face pale and white, mouth and eyes tearing wide, and his expressions confused and horrified. Erick gulped and placed his finger to his lips implying to stay quiet.

He crouched down, coming close to carry him. He figured Ethan'd be weakened. In awful caution he took with his steps, one decided to head their way. He stopped for a moment, grabbing a knife. He armed the man's head and plunged the knife into it's neck. It let out a small moan and twitched as it fell down infront of Ethan, who also fell down from the inappropriate image.

"It's alright, I got you." He whispered in his ear as he lifted him up. Ethan took hold of him, digging his hands into his back.

"Hahmp-!" Ethan whimpered as he fell down from Erick's arms. His body jumped through the sound of gunshots his brother fired at the creatures.

Erick's leg were grabbed by clicker who just got his head blowned and tried to pull himself up after. Two or three dashed towards him from the sound. Making every shot count, he aimed his best through a trembling hand.

"Go!" He yelled at Ethan, who was once again stoned.

"I said go! I'll be with you in a sec!" He yelled again as he pushed a clicker away from him and took a shot.

Finally Ethan's mind caught up and realized the situation. His ears became numb from the gunshots, taking in the images of the creatures that were different from what he had seen from earlier. Different from the butterflies he followed, the butterflies that led him to see that there were kinds of creature like this.

"Fuck it Ethan!" Oh yeah, he had to run. He took one last look at Erick. He was eyes were intensely looking at them. Why? What are they?

He ran and panted, as leaves hit his face, only one question was going through his mind.

_What is that?_

A clicking noise was oozing from behind, he turned to look one of those beings following him. His pushed his legs to ran faster, despite him shaking in fear. He reached the end of the arc to the outside, and went through an old building. He wondered if his brother was okay, did he finished them all? Would he get to him after?

His energy was running low, and let himself roll down behind a car. After a while he heard the clicking noises again. He dared not to move, he couldn't understand it, the creature with no eyes seems to only see him when something occurs, or at least that's what he thought. He stayed behind, trying his best not to move, or even breathe. Tears began to flow after, trying to actually gather his thoughts, everything only came into tears. He stayed this way until he heard gunshots. _Erick? _He lifted himself up and peeked through, and hoped came running through wrapping arms around him.

_Thank God._

"Can you walk?" Ethan can only nod and helped his legs out to move. They entered the building climbing two floors and walking through the hall hand in hand, none of them intends to let go. They found an open room and chose stay for awhile since Erick's stamina was running low. Erick pulled himself to sit down on the worned out couch.

"..Erick?" Ethan stuttered staring at his brother, his eyes showed pure confusion. He expected him to ask questions, yet he doesn't know how to explain it to his ten year old brother.

"What?" He said between breathes.

"..Y-your leg."

His eyes trailed down from his bloody hand to his pants rolled up to his knees. He reached to examine his legs and turned it sideways, his blood rushed throughout his body, pain was felt, emotions sliding in, his mouth runs dry.

A bite mark.

He held his leg, drawing circles on the scar, it was turning worse as blood was gushing out and bubbles popping oiut in his skin. His hands shook. Why?

_Why now?_

"E-erick?" Ethan's presence became lost for a second. He looked scared for his brother, he knew it was something bad. "What now?"

_What now?_

"It's just a scratch." Ethan's innocence was handy in some ways he admitted.

"No effects?" Ethan said with worry, looking at him straight in the eye.

Erick looked back at him, not a single emotion slipping out. Within minutes, an intense silence was in the air.

"No." Erick finally answered. "There aren't any effects at all." He broke off with a smile. Ethan's eyebrows buried in deep.

From his empty smile, he started to plan.

"I'm fine."

He only has forty-eight hours left to turn.

"Everything's fine now."

Can he make it?

"We'll get back to Mom and Dad."

**END OF PROLOGUE TWO.**

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****_Sharpshot: Hey guys me and my sister are terribly sorry that it took a real long time (not really) for an update. Its just that the past few weeks was such a busy week but expect faster updates so yeah leave a like and a update favorite our story it would really help us out to so yeah my sister is out for the today so id be doing the talking so yeah thanks for reading :D**  
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